Country : United States Label : Rainbow Blonde Genres and styles : Soul/R&B Year : 2020

No Beginning No End 2

· by Parker Mah

As cyclical as the title implies, No Beginning No End 2 is the spiritual successor to the first volume released on Blue Note records back in 2013. This first album of (mostly) original music on Rainbow Blonde records, the label he founded with singer/partner Talia “Taali” Billig, inherits James’ smoldering vocals and thematic fortes: love, attraction, and boundaries. He is also surrounded by top-flight jazz musicians – Kris Bowers and Jamire Williams, among others – and has rounded up an impressive array of guest artists such as Hindi Zahra, Aloe Blacc and Laura Mvula. The overall sound is less jazz-edged than its predecessor, and at times casually veers into straighter pop territory – his cover of Billy Joel’s saccharine “Just The Way You Are” doesn’t quite break loose – but those moments are buttressed by a few strong mid-tempo burners. “I Need Your Love”, a duo with Ledisi, stands out, with its perfectly taut groove and slightly-behind-the-beat piano jabs. A solid album overall, but not on par with the entrancing masterpiece that was No Beginning No End – although that would be a tall task, even for James.

Latest 360 Content

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Semaine du Neuf | Paramirabo/Musikfabrik: old school avant-garde meets cool post-modernism

Semaine du Neuf | Paramirabo/Musikfabrik: old school avant-garde meets cool post-modernism

Semaine du Neuf | Tim Brady and The Symphony in 18 Parts

Semaine du Neuf | Tim Brady and The Symphony in 18 Parts

Violons du Roy | Mozart, Dvořák, Kodály and Johann Strauss: an unexpected aperitif encounter

Violons du Roy | Mozart, Dvořák, Kodály and Johann Strauss: an unexpected aperitif encounter

Semaine du Neuf | Quatuor Bozzini: “Effusion of Friendship” With Oesterle, Smith and Arnold

Semaine du Neuf | Quatuor Bozzini: “Effusion of Friendship” With Oesterle, Smith and Arnold

Semaine du Neuf | Martin Bédard’s “archaeosonic” excavations

Semaine du Neuf | Martin Bédard’s “archaeosonic” excavations

Melodînes | Cyrille Angers and Bruce Gaulin, a Trio of Questions for a Flute-Piano Duo!

Melodînes | Cyrille Angers and Bruce Gaulin, a Trio of Questions for a Flute-Piano Duo!

Shunk – Shunkland

Shunk – Shunkland

Manu Katché: Star drummer, star communicator

Manu Katché: Star drummer, star communicator

Semaine du Neuf | Decidedly Acousmatic !

Semaine du Neuf | Decidedly Acousmatic !

A Celestial Journey: Holst’s The Planets with the OPCM

A Celestial Journey: Holst’s The Planets with the OPCM

Semaine du Neuf | “Listen with your eyes closed”: Acousmatic Music by Annette Vande Gorne

Semaine du Neuf | “Listen with your eyes closed”: Acousmatic Music by Annette Vande Gorne

Semaine du Neuf | When Opera Questions Technology

Semaine du Neuf | When Opera Questions Technology

Big Band for women at UdeM

Big Band for women at UdeM

Semaine du Neuf | Horror-themed kick-off event

Semaine du Neuf | Horror-themed kick-off event

Semaine du Neuf | Paramirabo-Musikfabrik: Montreal-Cologne encounter

Semaine du Neuf | Paramirabo-Musikfabrik: Montreal-Cologne encounter

Dômesicle | Kap Bambino and Alix Fernz transform the Dome into sensory chaos

Dômesicle | Kap Bambino and Alix Fernz transform the Dome into sensory chaos

Semaine du Neuf | Chants Libres : Laboratoire Lyrik 03, “La voix lumineuse”

Semaine du Neuf | Chants Libres : Laboratoire Lyrik 03, “La voix lumineuse”

Once Upon a Time… 100 Women | Diane Tell’s Playlist

Once Upon a Time… 100 Women | Diane Tell’s Playlist

Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec | An Evening of Discovery in The Footsteps of Bach’s Early Cantatas

Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec | An Evening of Discovery in The Footsteps of Bach’s Early Cantatas

Regularfantasy, Activism and Creativity in the Women’s Electronic MTL Scene

Regularfantasy, Activism and Creativity in the Women’s Electronic MTL Scene

International Women’s Rights Day in the Electronic Music World, a Montreal Case

International Women’s Rights Day in the Electronic Music World, a Montreal Case

Dicko Fils – La route

Dicko Fils – La route

Semaine du Neuf | Nanatasis: Three Abenaki Legends, Puppets, and an Opera

Semaine du Neuf | Nanatasis: Three Abenaki Legends, Puppets, and an Opera

Subscribe to our newsletter